Tool for removing the meat from citrus fruits



May 1, 1928.

W. BARFIELD TOOL FOR REMOVING THE MEAT FROM CITRUS FRUITS I OriginalFiled Sept. s. 1925 INVENTOR W A'ITORNEYS Patented Mavl, 192 8. y I i iy 1 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM BARFIELD, or CLEARWA'IER, FLORIDA, rissIGNOn TO THE II'I LsBnO'rHEns COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

rOOL FOB REMOVING THE MEA'l. FROM CITRUS FRUITS; Application filedSeptember 5, 1925, Serial No. 54,653. Renewed March 15, 1928.

My invention is designed for the produc- Fig. 6 is a section on the line6-6 of Fig. tion of an improved tool or instrument for l, and removingthe meat from citrus fruits, the Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 ofFig. same being especially designed for use in canning factories Wherelarge quantities of Like reference numerals indicate like parts suchfruits are used. llltllG different views.

The object of the invention is to produce My improved tool comprises ahandle 1,

a tool or instrument which may be readily and a long slender blade 2,the forward end inserted into the endof a gra iie fruit, orange of thelatter constituting apenetrating P0P 10 or other citrus fruit, after thesame has been tion 3 which is preferably about one-fourth as peeled,provided with means for severing a the length of theblade 2 as a whole.The sectionof the fruit along the side of one of upper and lower edgesof the penetrating the dividing walls or webs between two of portion 3gradually converge toward the the sections, and also provided with meanspointed end t thereof, and the blade 2 has whereby, by reversing theposition of the extending upwardly and rearwardly there tool orinstrun'ient, another portion of the from an obliquely arrangedseparating arm same may be caused to move along the sur- 5. The upperedge of said arm merges into face of the other dividing wall or web forthe upper edge ofthe penetrating portion 3,

the purpose "of removing the section there and the upper edges of thesetwoparts are 20 from. beveled on one side, as at (i, to form a dull,

A further object of theinvent'ion is to prothough somewhat sharpened,edge. The vide means for slitting the sections of the edge ofthe blade 2opposite the penetrating fruit laterallyin order to remove the seeds.portion 3 is flat, whereas the remaining por- The improved toolcomprisesa blade hav tion of the blade beveled, as shown. at 7 ing a penetratingportion at its forward end on the same side of the blade that the arm 5and an obliquely arranged separating arm and penetrating portion 3 arebeveled. Exextending from the rear of the penetrating tending laterallyfrom the blade 2, preferably portion, the upper edges of the penetratingupon the same sideof the blade as the bevportion and of the arm merginginto one an els (S and 7, is a cutting projection or blade 20 other. Thepenetrating portion and the 8. The cutting edge of the blade 8 tapersarn'i are preferably beveled to produce a from its rear end forwardlyand is prefercomparatively sharp edge, and the rear end ably rathersharp.

of the blade along the edge opposite the In using the device, thegrapefruit, for

beveled edge of the penetrating portion is example, is cut oft at theends of the core 35 preferably beveled and sharpened. On the thereof,peeled, and the fibrous portion inon side of the blade a cuttingprojection may side the skin carefully removed by a sharp be formed forremoving the seeds. knife. My improved tool is then introduced Thedetails of the invention will herein-. at one end of the core and thepenetrating after appear, and the novel features thereof portion causedto pass through the fruit 4 will be set forth in the claims. y I 1n linewith the core. In so doing, down- 05 In the drawings forming part of thespeciward movement of the blade is resisted by lication, the flattenedlower edge of the penetrating Fig. l a plan view showing in full linesportion and the latter is caused to traverse niy improved tool in theact of separating the side of the sect-ion within the dividing one ofthe sections of a citrus fruit and, in wall or web between that sectionand the dotted lines. the positionthe tool assumes one next adjacentthereto. The inclined when it has been forced entirely through the edgeof the penetrating portion 3 acts to fruit. gradually separate the meatsection from Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. the web, untilit has been introduced to a 50 Fig. 3 is a view at right angles to Figs.considerable extent, and then the beveled Y 1 and 2. i edge of the, arm5 acts to complete the sep- Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the toolarat'ion. By having the beveling 6 on the or instrument. right hand sideof the arm 5 and penetrat- Fig. 5 is a partial plan or edge view of ingportion 3, and first acting upon the left 55 th S e, side of the meatSGGtlQIl, the edges of the tool are caused to hug closely the sides ofthe dividing wall or web so that all of one side of the section isseparated from the web without breaking any of the cells of the meat.The tool is passed all the way through the fruit, as shown in dottedlines in Figs. 1 andQ. In passingthrough the fruit the cutting blade 8cuts the section along the apex thereof andprovides for the readyremoval of the seeds which are located at that portion of the section.After the blade has been passed entirely through the fruit, the positionof the same isreversed by rotating it. The rear portion of the blade,that is, that portion adjacent to the handle 1, is now brought intoaction. It is raised bodily and the beveled edge 7 thereof is caused totraverse the section of the fruit :ilong the inner sidof the dividingwall or web between it and the next adjoining section to the right. Itwill be observed that the bevelin 7 at the rear portion of the blade 2is on the same side as the beveling 6 on the arm 5 andpenet-ratingportion 3 of the blade. Consequently, when the blade 2 is raised tocomplete the removal of the fruit section, the right hand side of theblade is caused to hug the left hand side of the web or dividing wall sothat the meat section is completely removed without breaking any of thecells of the section.

I claim:

1. A tool for removing the meat from citrus fruits, comprising a bladehavin a penetrating portion at its forward en and an obliquely-arrangedseparating arm extending from the rear of the penetrating portion, theupper edges of said penetrating portion and of said arm merging into oneanother.

2. A tool for removln the meat from citrus fruits, comprising a Eladehaving a penetrating portion at one end thereof provided with convergingupper and lower edges and an obliquely arranged separating arm whoseupper edge merges'int-o and forms a continuation of the upper edge ofsaid penetrating portion;

3. A tool for removing the meat from citrus fruits, comprising a bladehaving a penetrating portion at one thereof provided with convergingupper and lower edges and an obliquely arranged separating arm, theupper edges of said penetrating portion and of said arm being beveledand merging into one another and the lower ed 'e of said penetratingportion being unbevered.

a. A toolfor removing the meat from citrus fruits, comprising a bladehaving a beveled edge at its rear end, a penetrating portion at itsforward end and an obliquely arranged, separating arm, the up er edgesof said penetrating portion and 0 said arm being beveled and merginginto one another.

A tool for removing the meat from citrus fruits comprising a bladehaving an obliquely-arranged separating arm and a laterally-extendedcutting projection thereon. In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe mysignature.

WILLIAM BABEIELD.

